Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA sahasram: SlOkam 133

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SrImathE RaamAnujAya nama:

 

133. saakEthaseemni Bhavathee maNipAdharakshE

maangalya laaja nikarai: avakeeryamANA

Keethi svayamvarapathE: Bharathasya kaalE

VaivAhiki Janani vahnisikhEva rEjE

 

Translation by U.Ve. Sri V.N. Vedantha Desikan Swamy

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Oh PaadhukE ! When You rode across the streets of

AyOdhyA , parched paddy grains were strewn in Your

path heralding auspiciousness. It loked then as though

You were ( by Your blazing lustrous radiance) the Agni ;

the lady Keerthi (fame) had voluntarily opted for

BharathA's hand and the wedding arrangements went

through (with laaja hOmam).

 

Notes by V.Sadagopan(V.S):

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(1) Sri UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

Here, Swamy Desikan describes how the ladies

of AyOdhyA showered parched rice as a sign of

auspicious welcome to the ruby-studded PaadhukAs

of RaamA . Swamy says that it looked like the marriage

of BharathA with a maiden by the name of Fame.The white

showers of parched rice fell on that occasion on

the rubies of the Paadhukais. The combination of

the white and red colors looked like the flames

of the sacred fire accepting the havis at the laajA-

homam stage of Vedic marriage .

 

(2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam :

The sight of the shower of Parched rice over

the Ruby-enmeshed Paadhukais were like witnesing

the sacred flames (VaidhikAgni) in the svayamvaram

of a kannikai with the name of Keerthi wedding

Bharathan. The visEsha keerthi (fame ) that BharathA

acquired was due to his rejection of the Raajyam

that was given to him and bringing back the Raama

PaadhukAs to rule over AyOdhyA . The inner meaning is that

when SamsAris reject SamsAram and seek the sacred feet

of SadhAchAryAs , they accumulate enormous keerthi .

 

(3) Swamy Desikan compares the resplendent Paadhukais

to the flames of Agni (Vahni-sikhA) in the VivAham

of BharathA with Keerthi devi ( Bharathasya VaivAhiki

Vahni sikhEva rEjE).The Laaja Homa manthrams are

housed in the tenth canto of Rg Vedam...V.S